OUR CURRENT MINISTRY: When I became a TBM Missionary, I moved to Utah and entered a 2-year apprenticeship program with the Mission. It taught me so much about working in a church and being a pastor. Watching other pastors and church leaders just deepened my desire to one day plant a church to reach the lost and disciple the saved. After completing the apprenticeship, I moved to Saratoga Springs, Utah. I met and dated Alayna and we later married. We started attending and became involved in Lone Peak Bible church in Highland. Our plan is to work with Lone Peak Bible Church in Highland for a few years, growing and learning how a planted church works under the discipleship of Chris and Nathan the two elders of Lone Peak Bible Church.
MITCH’S TESTIMONY: I grew up in a Christian home in Michigan. At 7 years of age, I wrestled with what the gospel is. I understood that I was a sinner, and that God was perfect. As life went on, I realized that I could never turn from my sins to live a perfect life. Therefore, I doubted that I could have a relationship with a perfect God. But, in 10th grade, a camp speaker told me that salvation was through believing in Christ’s death and resurrection as payment for my sins. He told me that nothing I can do could assure or save me and give me that relationship with God. At that time, in my cabin, I put my trust in Christ alone. I wanted to serve God full-time. In 12th grade, the Christian college I was planning on going to closed down. I thought maybe this meant God didn’t want me in full-time ministry. So, I went to community college instead, but that burdened me even more for the lost. I decided to go to Frontier School of the Bible. During my time at FSB, I developed a burden to church-plant in Utah. After graduation and a pastoral internship in Pine Bluffs, I worked at Camp Rock in Redington, Nebraska, until being accepted as a missionary with Tentmakers Bible Mission.
ALAYNA’S TESTIMONY: I was blessed enough to grow up in a Christian household where my mother and father loved the Lord, took their kids to church, and served others with their available resources. There was never a time in my life that I didn’t know about Jesus. My parents taught me from a young age what Christ had done on the cross and why I needed a Savior. I remember recognizing that I was a sinner in need of a Savior and believing in what Jesus had done for me on the cross. As a family, we made church a priority and my father would preach at local churches whenever there was a need for someone to stand in.
When I was in middle school I questioned a lot of things in life, one of them being God. I decided that I needed to fully understand who God is and why I believe what I believe, so I started reading my Bible consistently and making my faith my own. All of the Bible stories that I had learned started to make sense and I started to understand the “why” behind Christianity. This understanding of Christ has been my rock ever since. It has helped me through very lonely times in high school and has given me hope in seemingly hopeless situations.
After graduating high school, I went to Colorado Christian University (CCU) in Lakewood Colorado to have fellowship with Christians my own age and have a foundation in Biblical knowledge. I majored in Biblical Studies and Health Sciences for three years before transferring to Palmer College of Chiropractic for my doctorate degree. At CCU I learned that I loved to encourage fellow believers who struggle with difficult situations and hard questions about God and/or Christianity. I discovered my spiritual gifts are hospitality, service, and giving. I’ve been able to continually use them throughout my life to show Christ’s love to the people around me. These gifts are especially helpful to witness to the community as we prepare for church planting in Utah.
A LITTLE ABOUT US: We have a burden for helping hurting people, especially for youth and college-aged individuals. Particularly, we love ministering to hurting people who don’t know who God is. Also, people who have been hurt by religion. Because Mitch loves to hunt and fish, he uses that as a ministry by taking others along with him. We are hardcore adventurers and like to try new things, including food. We are excited for the next couple years in Utah as we learn how to plant a church for God’s glory.
Mitch’s favorite verse is Jeremiah 17:14-16
“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
save me, and I shall be saved,
for you are my praise.
Behold, they say to me,
“Where is the word of the Lord?
Let it come!”
I have not run away from being your shepherd,
nor have I desired the day of sickness.
You know what came out of my lips.”
This is Mitch’s favorite verse because it shows that God is faithful in the hard times of life. As we move forward in this adventure that God has for us, we would very much appreciate your prayers.
Alayna’s favorite verse is Luke 16:10 because she knows how important it is to be faithful in small things.
“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.”
